The present disclosure relates to a developing mechanism for an electrostatic latent image and an image forming apparatus having the developing mechanism.
An image forming apparatus such as printers and copiers includes a developing mechanism configured to develop electrostatic latent images. The developing mechanism typically includes a container configured to store developer and a developing device which receives the developer from the container. As a result of developer delivery from the developing device to an electrostatic latent image, the electrostatic latent image is developed to form a toner image. The toner image is then transferred onto on a sheet.
In many cases, a developing device includes a housing elongated in a perpendicular direction to a conveyance direction of sheets. The housing is provided with a feed port through which developer is fed from a container. The developing device further includes a conveyance member situated in the housing. The conveyance member extending in the perpendicular direction to the sheet conveyance direction like the housing conveys the developer away from the feed port after the developer is supplied through the feed port, in order to prevent the developer from depositing around the feed port. Consequently, the developer is smoothly supplied through the feed port.
A container is typically inserted substantially in parallel to the developing device. During the parallel displacement of the container with respect to the developing device, a shutter mechanism is activated in order to control communication between the container and the developing device. As a result of the operation of the shutter mechanism, the container is communicated with the developing device when the container is attached in position to the developing device.
If a discharge outlet, from which sheets are discharged after toner image formation on the sheets, faces to a user, the user may easily and visually confirm the discharge of sheets after the image formation. Therefore, the arrangement of the discharge outlet facing the user may be advantageous in terms of handling the discharged sheets.
A container may be replaced by a user. Therefore, it may be preferable that the container is situated near the user.
If the conventional parallel arrangement between a container and a developing device and the layout of the discharge outlet facing a user are employed, an image forming portion (e.g., an image carrier onto which an electrostatic latent image is formed) has to be situated near the user although the image forming portion occupies a large space in an internal space of an image forming apparatus, which results in large restrictions on structures and functions of the image forming apparatus.
Unless a container is in parallel to the developing device, an image forming apparatus may be designed under few structural and functional restrictions so that a user easily replaces the container and easily handles discharged sheets.
If the container intersects with the developing device, the image forming apparatus may be more flexibly designed. On the other hand, a shutter mechanism, which is employed in the conventional parallel arrangement, may not appropriately prevent developer leakage from the container.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a developing mechanism and an image forming apparatus including a shutter mechanism which appropriately prevents developer leakage from a container arranged to intersect with a developing device.